Review: M83, Oxford O2 Academy, January 24
The empty space on the front bar at this sold out gig should have been a warning sign. When the 10-foot stack of speakers right in front of me pounded into life, I literally felt the air shake.
Porcelain Raft opened as support, and the tiny band of two’s phenomenal drummer could seemingly multitask any rhythm on any limb simultaneously. As this was the last night of playing with M83 on their UK tour, Porcelain Raft threw themselves into the whole performance. Their opening tracks were particularly impressive and could easily have been the climax for another band’s support.
Setting the tone for their set, the mainly French M83 opened not with a track, but with the appearance of a Star Wars-esque alien and a wall of lights and sound. M83 do nothing in small measures, and every song was full bodied electronic dance, technically amazing rhythms, non-stop dancing and mischievous fun. Nothing was predictable, but every moment had been thought out so well.
A band of five, with a high saturation of electronic instruments and five Apple laptops, M83 are primarily electronic in their sound, but with a retro 80s synth tinge. Drums, guitar, keyboards and vocals accompany the explosive bass lines and delicate lyrics make for a lovely contrast on their calmer pieces.
This band are so tight, and paired with wonderfully synchronized lighting, this was hugely enjoyable to watch as the full flow of a piece would suddenly shut down to pitch black and silence. They even played around with their big tracks, remixing and chopping them up as they went, and then returning to a huge theme at completely unexpected points. We Own The Sky was infused with extra popping electronics and Midnight City, from their most recent album, was given a similar treatment.
You don’t need to know the band inside out to enjoy an M83 gig, although you may need earplugs if you’re next to the speakers. Their complete commitment to every moment of their performance carries the audience. Even a technical hitch midway through was swiftly dealt with and Anthony Gonzalez took the chance to shake as many hands in the audience as he could. I know that this reads like a rave review, but this gig was such fun.
